Process of destroying insects and their eggs.



J. W. BLOSSER.

PROCESS OF DESTROYING INSECTS AND THEIR EGGS APPLIOATIOAN 1511,21) JULY s, 1912.

' j fi 570m? q/vilhwoz co Patn'ted May 13, 1913.

UNITED sfratras ra rniaii oriuca JOSEPH W. BLOSSEBQOF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

PRocEss F DESTROYING msnc'rs AND THEIR noes.

oonaaa.

Specification of' Letters Patent.

latent ed Way 13, 1 913.

Application filed July 8, 1912. Serial No. 708,327.

To allauhom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, JOSEPH l/V. Bnosson, a

citizen of the United States, residing at At lantaflin the county of Fulton and'State of Georgia, have invented certain new and usetheir eggs present therein.

It- IS, a common practice to subject vegetable matter, such as granular or fibrous foods, herbs, and the like, to the action of steam, for the purpose bf destroying insects and their eggs present therein.

The great disadvantage heretofore encountered in the practice of this process is that the steam will dampen the material being treated. whereby such material hasto loe dried before it can be packed for shipment, to prevent the same i from molding or'decomposition, The drying of the material after being subjected to the action of steam is time consuming and adds materially to'the expense of the n'ocess. Now I have discovered a method of treating vegetable matter, such as granular or fibrous foods, herbs or the like with steam to destroy the insectsmnd their eggs present therein, without allowingthe material to be,

.left damp as a result of the treatment,

whereby it is necessary to subject the same to a drying operation before packing the same for shipment.

In the practice of my process in its pro ferred form, the granular or fibrous foods,

, rounded by a steam jacket. however, steam under pressure exceeding atherbs, or the like are placed within a normally closed shell or casing, preferably sll1 Prior to this,

mosphericpressure, is. introduced into the steam 'jacket and allowed'to remain therein for a suitable length "of time, so that the shell is warmed to approximately the temperature of the steam. This preliminary heating of the shell prevents the condensation of steam which is admitted into the shelL- After introducing the material to be treated into the shell or casing and allowing itto remain therein until it is warmed to a inoderate temperature, I introduce dry steam under pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, preferably at a presslire of twenty pounds to the square inch or above, into the shell or casino and pass the same into the material therein for a suitable length of time to destroy the insects and their eggs present in such material. This treatment ordinarily requires from live to ten minutes. -Atter the material has thus been treated with the dry steam, the pressure within the shell is suddenly released, vliereby the material contained therein is explosively ejected there from, such explosive ejectmcnt serving to release the steam contained in such material,

without condensation therein or thereof to an tl|)])lt!('ltll)l( extent. By this process the material is subjected to the action of dry steam to destroy the insects and their eggs present therein without leaving the material in a moist condition. A tier the material has been subjected to my process, it may be packed .t'or shipment without being sub- ,jected to a drying operation and will not mold nor decompose from the presence of moisture therein.

"hile I have Found it advantageous to subject most nmterialr: under treatment to a preliminary step of heating, l have found that it is not absolutely essential to do so in the case of some materials, but. that such materials may be subjected directly to the action of the superheated steam without such preliminary treatment.

I have found-that my process may be advantageously carried out in treating a large number of vegetable matters, such as tobacco, herbs, grain. cereals, and the like, wherein are present. insects and their eggs, for the purpose oi destroying such insects and their eggs.

- An in'iportant object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive process-of treating granular or fibrous foods, herbs and the like for destroying the insects and their eggs present therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of apparatus which is particularly well, adapted for use in the practice of my process.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, the figure is a com.

tral vertical sectional view through the apparatus. Q

In the drawings wherein is illustrateda preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 17 designates an upstanding supporting structure or frame within' which is T he numeral 6 designates p p a of the steam space 4,.as shown. This steam supply pipe is provided with a cut-off valve I .7? The steam'supply'pipe-G also serves as a 5 drain pipe for :the lower end of the jacket 2. Connected with the upperend of the jacket 2fis an approximately U-shaped pipe 8, having one end thereof connected with .the upper end 'of the inner shell 3, to dischargedry steam into the upper end of said shell 3. The pipe'8 is provided-with a cut-off valve 9. A steam outlet pipe 10 is connected-with the lower end of the shell 3 and passes through the lower end of the steam jacket 2. This steam outlet ,pipe is provided with a cut-01f valve 11. Connected, with the upper portion-of the jacket 2 is a pipe 12, carrying a steam pressure gage l3. A safety valve 14;

Y is also connected with the jacket 2, as shown.

shell.

The upper end of the inner shell or casing 3 is provided with an opening so that material may be fed into said shell or casing. This opening is normally closed by a hollow lid 1-5, forming a steam-tight joint with the transverse bolt 16. The hollow lid 15 has a steam space 17 in free communication with the steam space 4; through openings 18 and 19, as shown. retained in its seated position. so that it cannot be opened by pressure within the shell 3 by means of a jointed link or toggle-joint.

connected at 22. The link 21 carries at its upper end a laterally extending pin 23, which is inovably mounted within an elonated slot 24, formed in a depending extension 25 of the frame 1. The link 20 has its lower end pivotally connected with the lid 15, as shown at 26. The pin 22 which 'pivotally connects links 20 and 21 also passes through one end of a swinging lever 27 ,-to which isconnected a diagonal brace 28, having its opposite end connected with the link 20, as shown. It is thus seen that the lever 27 is 'rigidly connected with the link 20. When the lid 15 is in its closed position and the lever 27 is in its normal horizontal position, links 20 and 21 will occupy vertical po: sitions and will be in. alinement. It is obvious that pressure within the shell 3 cannot now open the lid 15. lVhen the outer end of the lever 27 is depressed the pin or pivot point 22 is moved laterally to one side of pivot points 16 may be opened. The lower end of'the shell 3 is formed open and is normally closed by a This lid is mounted to swing upon a j posed below and near the lid 29 is a chuteor deflect material from the, shell The hollow lid 15 is normally and 23, whereby the lid 15- hollow lid 29, pivoted as shown at 30. 1 This hollow lid has asteam space 31 in free com municat-ion with the steam space 4:, through openings 32. The lid 29 "has a steam-tight connection with the shell 3 and-is provided with a drain valve 33. This lid is normally held seated against movement by pressure within shell 3 by a link or toggle-joint structure, comprising links 34 a'nd 35 pivotally connected by a pin 36. The link 34 is pivotally connected at its upper end with the lid 7 29, as shown at 37, while the link 35 carries at its lower end 'a laterally extending pin 38, which is movably mounted within the elongated slot 39, formed through a block 40. This block is carried'bya horizontal beam 41, which is attached to the frame '1. The pin 36 'also"pa s se s through an opening formed in the inner endof a swinging lever 42, connected, with a diagonalj brace 13, which is connected withthe link 35, as shown at 44. It is thus seen that the lever 42 is disposed at right angles to the link35 and is rigidly connected therewith.; When the lid 29 is closed and the lever 42i isi ini'ts normal horizontal position, the links 3 1 and 35 will be in alinement or will form a straight angle, whereby pressure within the shell 3 cannot open the lid" 29. 'Whenfthe free end of the, lever 12 is moved, down;

wardly slightly, pin 36 will be moved laterially to one side of the pivots 37 and 38, whereby the lid 29 may be quickly swung pen by pressure within the shell '3. Distrough 455, to 3, when the same is explosively ejected there In the practice of my process as carried out in\ the apparatus herein shown. and dei scribed, the valve 7 is opened and steam is supplied to the steam jacket 4 for a suitable length of time to allow the walls of the chamber 3 to be raised to approximately the temperature of the steam. This ordinarily requires from three to five minutes. The material to be treated, such as tobacco,

fibrous or granular foods and the like, is introduced into the chamber 3 through the that the lower door 29 is closed. Following suitable length of time is allowed for the openingthereof, .it being understood the introduction of the",material ipto the chamber 3, and the closinggof the 11d 15, a 129 contained air and material under treatment .to be subjected to a preliminary heating operation, the material being preferably heatv ed to from approximately F. to 212 tas I the'material under treatment. The valve 9* is now opened to admit dry steam, prefer F.,:depending upon the particular nature of ably under pressure of about twenty pounds to the square inch, into the upper end of thechamber 3, valve 11 having been opened simultaneously with the opening of valve 9.

The steam passes through the material within the shell or chamber 3 and iexpels the air contained therein through thegpipe 10..

The elrygsteaindepressed, whereby links 34tand will.

be moved laterally slightly and'pressur'e Within the shell 3 will quickly swing the lid 29'to its open position. .The steam pressure within the shell also. explosively ejects the material being treated from the lower end'of the shell 3 into the trough 45 and the surrounding space, whereby the. immediate escape of the steam from the material treated is accomplished and the con-- densation therein obviated. It will be found that the material subjected to the treatment described, will be siu'liciently dry so that it may be packed for shipment without being subjected to a drying operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 7 1. The process'of treatingorganic material to destroy animal life present therein, which consists in inclosing the material to be treated within a chamber, subjecting it to the action of steam under pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure, andsuddenly releasing the pressure within the chamber.

2. The process o'l treating organic mate rial to destroy animal life present therein, which consists in subjecting the material to be treated to the action of heat, then to the action of steam at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, and suddenly releasing the pressure withiirthe chamber to explosively eject the contents thereof.

The process of treating organic mate rial to destroy animallitepresent therein, which consi. s-in inclosing the material to be treated within a chamber, passing steam under pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure into said chamber, simultaneously ,permitting the escape of air from an outlet said chamber.

located at a point distant from the steam inlet, closing said outlet after the escape of the greater portionof the air within said chamber, subjecting the contents of the "chamber to the action of steam under pressure exceeding atn'iospheric pressure, and suddenly "releasing the pressure within the 4. .The process of treating organic material to destroy animal life present therein,

\v-liieh consists in inclosing thematerial to be treated Within a chamber, passing steam under pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure mto the upper portion at said chamber,

simultaneously permitting the escape of air from the lower portion of such chamber, closing the air outlet after the escape of the greater portioirot' the air contained within,

said chamber, subjecting the contents of the chamber to the action of the steam until the said contents are of approximately the temperature of the steam, and suddenly releas ing the pressure within the chamber to explosively eject the contents thereof.

5. The process of treating vegetable matter to destroy insects and their eggs present therein, which consists in heating the vegetable iiiatter-i'n a normally closed chamber, then injecting steam at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure into the closed chain bcr and suddenly forming a relatively large opening in the chamber, whereby the pressure is released and the vegetable matter is explosively ejected from said chamber.

6., The herein described process of treating material to destroy insects and their eggs present therein, which consists in subecting the material to the action of steam 

